By Steve Rhodes

“Loyola University Chicago finished the 2017-18 season ranked No. 7 in the final USA Today Coaches Poll, which was revealed this week,” LoyolaRamblers.com reports. “Loyola ranked behind only Villanova, Michigan, Kansas, Duke, Virginia and Texas Tech.”
That sounds about right.
“During this season to remember, the Ramblers knocked off four nationally ranked teams, disposing of No. 5 Florida, No. 22 Miami, No. 13 Tennessee and No. 24 Nevada.”
The Florida win came in December, while the others were in the NCAA Tournament. Still, it is remarkable that Loyola was never ranked this year – until now.

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Posted on April 4, 2018

We Can’t Wait For You To Get Here

“Illinois lawmakers held a Senate hearing Tuesday to consider the legalization of sports betting across the state,” NBC Chicago reports.
“During the hearing, legislators discussed what platforms might be used, what state regulations would be put in place, and how the bets would be taxed.
“There is currently a federal ban on sports betting, however the U.S. Supreme Court is considering a decision to overturn it.”
*
“Major League Baseball’s representation at the hearing, Bryan Seeley, said that ‘if Illinois is going to legalize sports betting, there are some important things that need to be in the legislation,’ namely, giving the league the ability to talk to bookmakers. Representatives for the Chicago Cubs and White Sox were also in attendance at the hearing.”

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Posted on April 3, 2018

By Jim Coffman

Everybody enjoy that extraordinary sports weekend?
Yes, Chicago played in the Final Four and, yes, the local baseball teams made their 2018 debuts (hey Cubs, you need to do better than that, sheesh), but this past weekend was also about women’s basketball and, wait for it, MLS soccer.

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Posted on April 2, 2018

By Roger Wallenstein

The kid needed a ride to the ballpark on a Sunday morning last September, so my brother-in-law, Bill, a weekend Uber driver, picked him up at his downtown high-rise apartment building east of Michigan Avenue.
Later he texted me this photo asking if I knew this guy.
“Sure,” I answered. “That’s Matt Davidson. Plays for the Sox. Why do you ask?”

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Posted on April 2, 2018

By Thomas Chambers

All long days come with highs and lows.
Saturday’s trajectory was remarkably symmetric, a midday apogee of Thoroughbred horse racing enjoyment Telstarred from a flawlessly executed Carnival halfway around the world, and the nadir a half-assed, why-bother attempt at conducting a seemingly important race in the run-up to America’s most illustrious equine event. Chicken-egg validated as the national cable channel televising the race chose against even dispatching the award-winning analyst or Hall of Fame jockey to the venue. The center of American horse racing Saturday, just a day’s ride from Hawthorne, this capsule couldn’t have come near the aircraft carrier if it was on a string.
Dubai World Cup Day, the exclamation point on the Festival of Racing, starts here at 6:30 a.m. That’s early, so I didn’t get the wagering fired up until race four. But oh what a race it was.

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Posted on April 1, 2018

By Jim Coffman and Steve Rhodes

Scott Foster Is The Emergency Backup Goalie We Need. Plus: Cubs Opener A Perfect Preview Of The Season To Come; White Sox Opener A Perfect Preview Of The Season To Come; and So You’re Saying Loyola Has A Chance?

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Posted on March 30, 2018

By Roger Wallenstein

We interrupt this program – that being the euphoria up on Sheridan Road – to remind our readers that we have a baseball season returning on Thursday when The Rebuild continues for the White Sox, starting in Kansas City.
The past couple of months had been a wasteland as far as local sports were concerned until the unheralded Ramblers – the local papers hardly covered Loyola until it was clear they were going to the Tournament – awakened a city thirsty for something to cheer about.
Hope has turned into reality for the college hoops team in Rogers Park.
As far as the Sox are concerned, there is a tinge of hope, but it has yet to spring eternal. Yet most fans are more than willing to sit back, observe on television rather than at the ballpark, and wait.
We know this is working. At least we think it is.

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Posted on March 26, 2018

By Jim Coffman

So what the heck are we supposed to do for the next five days?
Loyola makes the Final Four and everything is all “Woo-Hoo! What a Victory! Donte Ingram, Clayton Custer, Marques Townes, Ben Richardson, Cameron Krutwig, Aundre Jackson and Lucas Williamson are the best players ever and Porter Moser is the best coach ever!”
And then, “Now they don’t play again for a full week?”

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Posted on March 26, 2018

By Jim Coffman and Steve Rhodes

But don’t expect a campus windfall no matter what ill-informed journos tell you. Plus: Cubs Camp Breaking Badass; Gee Oh Lito!; Fox Spox; Don’t Even Think About It, Ryan Pace; and Schweinsteiger.

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Posted on March 23, 2018

By Pregame TV

The Ramblers have been underrated all season.
The Wolfpack miss their point guard.
That’s the word from Steve Fezzik, who picked Loyola to get here in the first place. With Brad Powers, from Las Vegas.

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Posted on March 22, 2018